LOYOLA Meralco advanced to the semifinals as top seed in Group A following a 2-2 stalemate with rival Kaya Monday night even as Ceres-La Salle claimed the other last-four berth in the PFF Smart Club Championship at Rizal Memorial Stadium.
Phil Younghusband and Matthew Hartmann were on target as the Sparks survived a late Kaya onslaught to finish with seven points.
Two-time defending champion Ceres joined Loyola in the next round after a narrow 1-0 win over Laos FC.
The Sparks will face the No. 2 team in Group B which will mostly likely be Stallion. A duel with rival Global looms for Ceres in the semifinals.
Kaya, whose lone win came against Laos, 6-0, last Saturday, failed to make it past the group stage after managing just four points from three matches.
“It was a tough game because Kaya gave it their everything because they needed to win,” said Loyola coach Simon McMenemy, whose Sparks stunned Ceres, 1-0, last Saturday.
“The boys put a lot into the Ceres game, so there were plenty of tired legs today. I’m just pleased we were able to hang on.”
It took Kaya just 23 minutes to take the lead as Miguel Tanton beat Tomas Trigo with a close-range strike. Hartmann equalized a minute later before Younghusband gave the Sparks the lead in the 35th minute with a precise strike to beat Nick O’Donnell.
Jovin Bedic continued his fine form for Kaya with his 65th-minute goal, tying the match for the second time.
Desperate for a win, Kaya sent in skipper Aly Borromeo to join the attack. But the Sparks defense anchored by Joaco Canas proved equal to the threat.
Ceres lacked the sharpness from previous games and it took a scrappy goal from Patrick Reichelt to finally break the Laos resistance.
The national team ace fired low to beat Saba Sadeghi in the 55th minute.